Here’s a conference I wish I could attend. At my alma mater no less. How ’bout them Gators? I wonder if “electronic publishing” could be code for blogging? Where do you think I learned all my “skills?”
The purpose of the NETC conference is to share information among agricultural extension information technology professionals and users. Sessions, workshops, and special discussion panels will focus on the latest technology and examples of how innovative technologies are applied in real extension situations. Topics include web site development, video conferencing, electronic publishing, GIS/GPS, networking, extension standards, and accountability management to name a few.
Magazines and a Website Working Together
StopSoybeanRust.com won an award at the recent Media Industry Newsletter’s Best of the Web ceremony in New York. The website is a joint venture of Successful Farming’s Agriculture Online and Vance Publishing.
“The Web site, StopSoybeanRust.com, has been the right communications tool for a time-sensitive topic like soybean rust, but we also saw the need to get the word out through the magazine, where we have the widest reach with farmers. I think the award shows how committed we have been to helping farmers stay informed on this big issue,” said Agriculture Online Editor John Walter.
Hey John, it’s the website that won the award right? Actually I really like the fact that a cross-platform approach like this was used by 2 different publishing companies. Very cool.
Texas Style Farm Podcasting
I just love it when someone “gets it.” Texas A&M gets it.
One of the first people we interviewed on AgWired was Blair Fannin with Texas A&M Ag Communications. He’s a farm podcasting pioneer. Maybe the first. I just noticed a reference to a paper he presented at the recent Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists annual meeting, titled, “Podcasting Agricultural News” (pdf file). You ought to take the time to read the paper. Blair provides some measurable documentation of his efforts such as one program back in late 2004 that received over 14-hundred requests, which I assume he means downloads.
Blair summarizes his report in words that I can’t agree with more:
Podcasting bypasses traditional media. Instead of Texas A&M Agricultural Communications having to pitch audio news to radio outlets, we send the information directly to our audience via a RSS podcast feed with audio through the Web.
Podcasting opens a new door to target general consumers and agricultural producers with audio news content. Further, this may penetrate younger audiences who are more inclined to use portable .MP3 player devices.
You are right on target Blair. Thanks to the March ACDC News for the alert.
Sinift New GM For Intl. Agri-Center
He must have done a good job as the “interim” manager this year.
Jerry Sinift, interim general manager of the International Agri-Center, was officially appointed to the post by the Board of Directors on Wednesday, March 22. Sinift has been managing the non-profit organization since his predecessor resigned in December.
Sinift also announced the promotion of International Agri-Center staffer, Erin Machado, to facility director for Heritage Complex, filling his shoes there. Machado began her career with the Agri-Center in 1999 as the coordinator for the Learning Center at Heritage Complex, which opened to great fanfare in October, 2000. Two years later, she was named assistant facility director.
Zimfo Bites
I missed World Water Day but I did drink water and take a shower.
Plant pathology journalism award deadline extended to April 21.
The Fisheries Scholarship Fund awarded 9 research institutes with funds to study the health benefits of seafood and seafood safety technology.
Pork, The Other White Meat brand sold for $60 million.
Blog Machine Low On Fuel
Just because I haven’t posted much doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on. After 4 hours of meetings in Omaha and the 5 1/2 hour drive back and a little time emailing there just isn’t enough fuel in this engine for more.
But stay tuned because the meeting was a Category 5 hurricane of a brainstorm session and my Palm Treo was in use for almost the whole drive back. Life in interesting in the agricultural blogosphere.
Canada’s Farm Challenge
A Professor from Saskatchewan, Canada shook the farming world a little when he said ship up or shape up, or the family will go the way of the dodo bird.
Professor Hartley Furtan has defined the problem of the grains and oilseeds sector and thrown out a challenge to the public what they want to do about it. The problem is not over production, nor inefficiency, nor even gross farm income. The issue is low grain prices and high input costs leaving a small or even negative profit margin, says C.M. (Red) Williams, President, Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation in his Monday Memo.
“Furtan suggests that one solution is to do nothing. With predictions for a number of years of low grain prices the result will be a decrease in production and a growing social problem for those farmers that were depending upon the sale of land for their retirement,” says Williams. “On the other hand, if some method of providing an assured income is developed, then the Canadian taxpayer needs to understand and support the approach.”
Out of all the industries that struggle from time to time, the reason why the grains and oilseeds industry should be singled out for special attention is quite direct. There is about $85B of GDP that depends directly on a supply of grains and oilseeds. The industries stretch from cattle feeding to flour milling. These industries have already suffered from the variability in grains supplies but would shrink or move to the U.S. where supply and price are predictable.
Now, there is the issue of how to support the grains and oilseeds industry without unnecessarily inflating production, or bringing down the wrath of the WTO. CAIS allows for support of income up to 70% of some base, but it is the remaining 30% that needs attention. The cost is about $3 billion, says Williams.
Kubota Names McCormick for PR
I was just informed that Kubota is now receiving public relations support from McCormick. The alert specifically mentions broadcast reporters but that may be because I’m in that category still. Kubota will still be working with Paulsen Marketing for advertising support.
When I looked at the Paulsen website I noticed a “blog!” The Paulsen Blog. What a great idea.
Online International Podcasting Expo
I just received a release about the International Podcasting Expo. It’s set up as an online event April 21-23. Very interesting. Brought to you by the folks who started Family Friendly Podcasting.
Podcasting is exploding. Apple shipped more than 14 million iPods in its 2005 4th Quarter, according to Robert McMillan, IDG News Service. Forecasters predict up to 60 million people will be downloading podcasts by the year 2010.
What does this mean for podcasters? It means that their targeted listening market is increasing every day. People with iPods, as well as MP3 players, PDAs and Cell Phones with digital audio players, are looking for quality content in their areas of interest.
Although the Podcasting Community includes such large organizations as IBM, Oracle, Purina, Philadelphia Eagles, Purdue, Notre Dame, CBS, Nintendo, and the NYPD, a majority of the world still has not heard the word “podcast”, nor does it understand podcasting’s usefulness for education and business, as well as entertainment.
The International Podcasting Expo, April 21 – 23, 2006, hopes to change that. This online Podcasting Expo will be a 48 hour, around-the-clock event, taking place within an online Virtual Expo Center. Therefore, anyone in the world with an Internet connection can attend.
On The Road Again
This is what I saw a lot of today. I just couldn’t resist since it looked like it would be a cool sunset. It didn’t quite turn out that way. After pulling over and taking a set shot the best one turned out to be the first one through the windshield.